Raising Lumie

Starred review from May 11, 2020
A guide dog in training helps a grieving girl navigate a transitional year in Bauer’s tender middle grade novel. Following her plumber father’s death, 12-year-old Olive tries to keep her anxiety at bay when she must leave her familiar home and move to a new town with Maudie, the older half-sister she’s just met. Dog devotee Olive thinks a four-legged friend would help, but Maudie believes that a puppy—especially in their space within a New Jersey house share—would be one change too many. Things shift, however, when Olive lucks into the opportunity to raise a pup named Lumie to be a guide dog for the blind. Olive’s confidence grows with Lumie’s every achievement, but near the end of their time together, an incident at the park jeopardizes Lumie’s future. While imparting solid information about guide dogs and their work, Bauer (Soar) employs her well-honed skill at depicting believable, evolving relationships that are rooted in love and nurtured with encouragement. She balances Olive’s big emotions and funny, forthright narration with the light humor of secondary characters and a satisfying, big-hearted ending. Ages 10–up. Agent: Elizabeth Bewley, Sterling Lord Literistic.